Advent Conspiracy

I ran across this in Carl McColman’s blog and just have to share…

I think HOW we do Christmas makes a difference on every level imaginable…dare to do it different, it is not too late…

Time magazine posted an article on this too…interesting read…

God Help Me…

Well, I’m on my second day of this Lent in Advent commitment.  I must admit I’m not doing too well…this is very humbling…

One of the things I’ve committed to do is two nice things every day.  Yesterday we were home all day so the only ones I could do something nice for were my husband and daughter.  We were a busy bunch with household projects and I did the normal homemaker stuff (which should count, since I do it for them), but by the end of the day I realized I should go above and beyond the usual. So…I wrote a note and taped it to the bathroom mirror so both would see it…it said “You two are the greatest and I love you!”.  Ummm, yeah…lame.  I know it was only one thing, but I did it for two people, so I’m thinking that counts as two. :) 

Today had its moments too.  I began a day fast of ingesting only liquids.  I used to do this regularly (years ago), twas no big deal…not today!  I think I need to ease into this…I know this sounds pathetic, especially as I used to be able abstain for days, but there it is.  My stomach growled painfully quite often and at one point I became light headed.  I drank water (mostly) with  juice, chicken broth and coffee thrown in on the side…still I caved in with a bowl of rice at 5pm…very weak, very weak…One benefit of this fast: as my stomach screamed for mercy I thought of  and prayed for those who go to bed hungry. Ugh, how horrible to go hungry all the time…

I entered contemplative prayer both days:  yesterday was interrupted by incessant phone ringing by our daughter (I guess she needed us to pick up the phone…finally I ditched the prayer time and answered it), but I did come back and complete the time.  Today I kept the commitment too, although the time dragged on–I found myself checking the clock for the 30 minute mark. Oftentimes I felt the gray nothingness of sleep/unconsciousness tugging me…sleep is a different place in the mind than contemplative prayer–how to describe this, I don’t know, just know the difference between the two when I’m ‘there’.  I managed to stay awake, though.

I actually did do something nice today for someone else.  She was carrying a sleeping 5-6 year old boy in her arms while entering Target. I was amazed at how small she was compared to how big he was, yet she somehow managed to carry him, blankie and all. Instead of bustling ahead of her to grab a cart and go, I stepped back and let her go first and then helped her pull out a cart.  She was most grateful as she hoisted her completely unconscious child into the deep part of her shopping cart.  Whew! I actually have a bona fide nice thing that I’ve done this Advent season. 

Inner resistance to all of this is rearing its ugly head…I’m feeling like these are “shoulds”, even though I’ve chosen to do them.  I recently heard that we learn best by doing something instead of just knowing it in our head–that by actually doing it, it changes our brain, it changes us.  I’m praying that that is the case, for this commitment requires action and not just when I feel like it.  Seeing someone in need requires attention and an eye for the other.  Giving sacrificially demands some planning and discipline.  Fasting invites focusing on God and not on bodily discomfort.  Prayer in a chair for 30 minutes means setting aside time and space for solitude and silence, which often takes some doing in this fast paced, noisy world. 

I’m realizing how weak I am with all of this, how, in large part, unnatural it feels.  I’m realizing I cannot do it in my own power…I’ve started praying, asking Him to give the strength and wisdom needed to keep going and to give me direction as to whom to help and how to help…something I should have done earlier, but then again, I’m learning as I go…

Michael: He Tried

Michael’s memorial service-just finished watching it.  Many things stand out but the one thing that popped out at me was the fact that he’d given so much back of what he received.  His charitable giving set a Guiness World record.  Monetarily he battled dollar demons yet he still gave, even 20% of today’s earnings are targeted for charity…posthumously he still gives.

We all know how he poured himself out on stage, we witnessed someone perform with everything he had, no reservations.  Music flowed from his depths.  That could have been his contribution to the world–his talent and gifting–but he gave more.  He spilled cash to those less fortunate.  He called people, like Coretta Scott King, when they were gravely ill to bring cheer and hope.  His charisma, care and open heart brought healing, even without song.  He connected well, even if he couldn’t mingle with the masses.

We look at his final face and see a freakish visage.  Many, I fear, couldn’t watch today because they saw him and his style of singing/dancing as weird.  The accusations of child molestation are, for some, their earliest and most impressionable memory of him.  Others pass a guilty verdict, even though he was found innocent.  Perhaps they see such a star-studded send off as a complete dismissal of all that wasn’t right or may have been really wrong with Michael.  We may never know Michael’s real demons or what he actually did to the detriment of others…all that is known only to a few, we can only speculate.  Hopefully whatever he did do was taken to the cross of Christ and to the offended so that forgiveness could be extended and accepted and so that healing could begin.

Today, though, the day of his memorial service, let’s be grateful for what we know he did do: for the ways he touched each one of us in his performances and music, for the hope he gave to people of all colors, for the many lives that were lifted because he wrote a check or visited the sick and poor of the planet. 

He tried friends, he tried.  It may not have always been perfect or laudable, but he tried. Even with all that was said about him, even as he lost all skin pigmentation and started looking like a clown, he kept reaching out to others.  Even as he carried the horrors inherent in being the most famous and recognizable person on the planet, he continued to try to connect and bring healing to others.  Extreme self consciousness could have crippled him/closeted him–instead it catapulted him outward.  False accusations and mean spirited words could have created a bitter and cynical man, instead he forgave and kept on forgiving.  He refused to let the world stop him from giving what he had so that others might live, so that others might breathe a bit easier, so that others might smile…  Can we look in the mirror and say as much about the one we see there?

Like my son’s t-shirt, worn today, says: “You have one life.  Do something.”

Got it, God.  Got it, Michael.  Thanks, will do…

Kids Maundy Thursday Prayer

Today is Maundy Thursday–the day we remember Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. Most Christians picture Jesus breaking the bread and passing the cup, instituting the Lord’s Supper or Communion or the Eucharist. In John’s gospel, though, Jesus washes His disciples’ feet.

As part of our church’s Lenten Wednesdays we had separate prayer stations set up for the kids (thanks to Tracy for her collaboration on this). Each week the kids had two new stations that were part of a modified version of the traditional Stations of the Cross–the stations began with Ash Wednesday and ended with the Good News being spread by the Apostles. We had a Maundy Thursday station, a station I feel led to share with you…

Maundy Thursday
Last Supper
Theme: give to each other

Scripture Skit acted out by kids:
John 13: 1-17 from The Message (washing of feet story)

Props: apron, bowl, floor pillows or chairs

Scripture Enactment: John 13–Washing His Disciples’ Feet
(ask for volunteers for being narrator, Jesus and Peter—the rest get to be disciples. Narrator reads slowly so that Jesus can enact what is being said. Have actors sit down on the floor in a row with their shoes on, no need to take them off, this is pretend… Use basin and apron, but no water—pretend there is water.)

Narrator: Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal.

Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said,

Peter: “Master, you wash my feet?”

Jesus: “You don’t understand now what I’m doing, but it will be clear enough to you later.”

Peter: “You’re not going to wash my feet—ever!”

Jesus: “If I don’t wash you, you can’t be part of what I’m doing.”

Peter: “Master! Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!”

Jesus: “If you’ve had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you’re clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you’re clean. But not every one of you.”

Narrator: He knew who was betraying him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you.” After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.

Jesus: “Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.”

Memory Verse: Do unto others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)

Prayer Station: have kids buddy up and ask each child pray quietly by themselves asking Jesus what one nice thing they can do for their prayer buddy right now. When done praying, have them do that nice thing for their buddy. Ask the two of them to pray together thanking Jesus for helping them love one another by serving each other. If you have an odd number of children, you may want to be a prayer buddy with one of them or one of them can be a prayer buddy twice.

May we commune with our Lord this day and every day. Saying a prayer for you…

(contemplative prayer: been back ‘in’ it. Kinda dry, though…oh well, that happens from time to time. Yesterday’s blog, though, “Scent of Love Lingers Longer” was given in yesterday’s prayer time)

Teaching, Preaching and Prophesying

 

“What happens next?” This has been bouncing around in my mind since yesterday’s blog on Holy Monday.

So, Jesus’s Holy Tuesday…what did He do? As I page through the Gospel of Mark, chapters 11-13, it is apparent He went into high teaching, preaching and prophesying mode. Three days before His death, He spoke, spoke, spoke.

What are His messages? Well, go ahead and read it for yourself. Here are the themes I see:

1. the vital importance of faith in God and forgiveness towards others in order for prayers to be answered. The oft quoted “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” is immediately followed by “whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” I read this to mean forgiveness opens channels for God’s power to be manifest, for mountains to be moved.

2. He fields tricky questions from the religious authorities and, in doing so, plainly asserts that He is the Messiah, the long awaited Savior.

3. prophesying about His death, about the fact that they would kill Him, God’s Son.

4. He is not a political threat but the King of a different kind of Kingdom. (“give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s)

5. He teaches Saducees (upper crust, politically savvy religious folk who didn’t believe in spiritual reality or in the resurrection) that God is a God of the living and that there is life after death and will be a physical resurrection of the dead. Oh and that angels are for real.

6. The two most important commandments are reiterated: “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

7. The danger of pride, especially in religious leaders…they “will receive greater condemnation.”

8. How giving all to God, even if it isn’t much, is a more generous gift to Him than giving from one’s surplus.

9. Destruction of the temple is prophesied.

10. End Times gets billing: false christs, false prophets, wars, famines, earthquakes, Christian persecution. The proliferation of the Gospel to rulers, kings, and to all nations. The widespread hatred of believers, even dividing families. Great destruction and turmoil “such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.” I’m grimacing right now, how about you?

11. The Second Coming is foretold: “Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect.”

12. How important it is prayerfully stay awake and “Watch!” for His Second Coming, as no one but the Father knows the day or hour Jesus will come again.

Well, I enjoyed that. Now I know what Mark says about Holy Tuesday…I’m sure the other Gospels have other nuggets to add.

I reflect on my own faith walk and see that at one point I was a modern day Saducee—I didn’t believe in angels, demons and the like. This made it rather difficult to fathom a Second Coming and resurrection, I must admit. Thankfully God cured that heretical belief with ‘rattled me good’ spiritual encounters. The Second Coming and resurrection of the dead—easy to nod to today. Now, for the rest of the teaching…those commandments…forgiveness…faith…sacrificial generosity…pride. Man, I’ve got along way to go…

(Contemplative prayer update: am more consistent now…sometimes it is so sweet)

Flight Status, Stock Status

 

Our sixteen year old, Emily, boarded a plane this a.m. with her fellow band members. They are headed to Germany and Austria for a week of performing and sightseeing. My husband and I helped her get her luggage checked in and left her at the security check line. Hugs and love exchanged, photo taking utterly shunned (whatever!). We’re so excited for her, for them! What an opportunity!! She has been all smiles all week, in anticipation.

On the way home I received two cell phone calls. One from my dad, just checking in on the big morning, making sure I was ok. Leaving her there did create a hole in the heart feeling, I’ll admit. But I do think I’ll be ok. Rich and I are empty nesters for the next week…will try to make it special :)

The other phone call was from Rich, who said we were out of GNW, a stock that we had invested in 2 weeks ago (blogged about on 3/6, GNW). Having surrendered this rather risky investment into God’s care and leading we’ve hung tight watching it rise, waiting for a divine “Sell”. Yesterday, I felt God saying “Sell at $2.15”, so I called Rich and he set it up to do so. It sold this a.m. while we were at the airport. Two weeks ago, when I blogged about it, it was nose-diving and writing about it took a leap of faith–“What if I had heard God wrong? What if I ended up looking like an egghead like so many other times before? How could God ask me to blog about this!?” etc. etc. etc. This one has a happy ending, though, as we pledged that 50% of the gains would be tithed. It brings tears to my eyes to know that soon we’ll be giving away thousands of dollars to charities who need it. What an honor, what a blessing…I guess we next need to pray about who to send to, who God wants us to write checks to and for how much. Good problem to have :)

Well, that is the day so far (although, I did also keep my chapel commitment and got gas and a car wash too :). I’m watching Em’s American Airlines flight status to Denver (25 minutes ahead of schedule!), then on to Frankfurt. She won’t be using her cell phone “across the pond” unless there is an emergency (due to long distance fees), so we’ll be unaware of how she’s doing, how it is going–maybe she’ll find an internet cafe and shoot us an email…that would be nice.

Prayerfully lit a candle for her and all the band tour members this a.m. I had the chapel to myself for almost thirty minutes–people kept leaving, then I realized alone with Him, I was. Sweet prayer time today…much to be grateful for, much to be lifting before Him. Tears came, Presence felt. How to be so blessed, I don’t know…I just don’t know.

Giving and Receiving

 

Giving and receiving. So many of us are great at giving, aren’t we? Christmas shopping and gift giving is a favorite pastime for many. Also, Americans are known as the most generous people on the planet (we don’t hear much about this in the news, do we?)–other countries see it, know it to be true. Americans pride themselves on taking care of their own and helping others–by and large, we’re self made people with big hearts. Of course, there are exceptions: some Americans expect handouts or to be taken care of, but such thinking is countercultural and people who think like this are usually marginalized by the rest. This minority tends to live off of others or society, almost parasitically. We all know someone like this, don’t we? Finding feet beneath them to take them into tomorrow is a huge challenge for these souls. Are we all complicit in this? You bet. Can we help? You bet. Do we help? You bet. Do some stand and move forward because of our help? You bet. Does dependency linger from generation to generation anyway? You bet. Do we try new ways to lay solid ground beneath them? You bet. Will they ever be no more? No way. “Huh?” you say. I say they will always be, and someday they may be you and/or I. None of us is guaranteed a healthy, wealthy, bomb free life, none of us. Someday we may be refugees, or hungry, or without an address, or in a wheelchair, or without mental fluency. Yep, those souls we meet on city streets could be us in no time flat–cup in hand and all. We hate to think about it, for it invokes fear, but it glances our way just the same and toys with our heads. We’re vulnerable.

So, back to the top: we are generous, giving people. Ahh…I should stop there, that feels good, doesn’t it?

Ok, onward. How are we at receiving? Do we easily receive what others gift us with? Do we easily walk through a door someone holds open for us? Do we take in a smile someone we’ve never met plants on us in passing? Do we take in our surroundings? Do we let others help us when we cannot do it ourselves? Do we allow others to love us? Do we allow God to love us? Do we listen and actually hear another? Do we listen for and hear God? Can we receive? Are we open enough and humble enough to say ‘yes’ when something is given, when something is offered, when arrangements are made, when God speaks?

If we don’t learn to receive sooner, then I think we’re forced to learn later, if we live long enough. As abilities and capacities fade with age we either die broken in our pride or learn to gracefully receive care and help. For some loss of ability is an earth shattering turning–fraught with anger and humiliation. For some, it involves resignation and sorrow. For a few, there is understanding: for they know the joys of giving. They know that there is no giving unless there is someone to receive. They know that by receiving they are allowing someone to receive the joy inherent in giving. They realize they are actually helping another by being a gracious receiver…and, in so doing, they become givers. The giving becomes mutual and both parties become receivers. Dependency morphs into a beautiful interdependency–life is given both ways.

A few years ago, my hubby and I had two days in Venice. It was an over the top last minute side trip that we’ll never regret taking. One of the most blessed memories I have of that place took place in St Mark’s Square. Beggars mingle with the crowd and hold out their cups, some with a verbal plea, others with pleading eyes. As Rich and I stood in line to get into St Mark’s Cathedral, a short, stout, elderly lady moved up and down the line with her cup. She smiled sweetly and never insisted, just gave people an opportunity to drop a coin. I nudged Rich with a strong elbow—for he held all our cash. He looked at me with a ‘you can’t be serious’ look and shook his head. I persisted, though, and a coin was presented. With a prayer of blessing I looked her in the eye and dropped the coin in her cup. She touched my hand, looked me in the eye, smiled and nodded graciously. Her eyes shone bright. In trying to bless her, I’d been blessed by her, I’d been blessed by giving, I’d been blessed by God. I couldn’t believe it. I cried. Right there in line at St Mark’s Square, I cried. We’d both been blessed.

Can something similar happen in our relationship with God? I think so. I think if we realize the joy He takes in blessing us, in giving us all good gifts in Him, in whispering sweet nothings in our ear, then we’re likely willing to receive His love for us, His care for us, to let Him lead us. We’re likely to give Him more and more of ourselves, our lives. The giving is mutual and the relationship is ordered aright…we take ourselves out of the God seat and let Him reside there. We open ourselves to Him and stay responsive. In humility we breathe His life and give Him ours. Beautiful…

On Safari

 

 

God’s so merciful!! He’s really a Wild Man!! We’ve had great news this week. Unexpectedly, Rich (my husband) was promoted at work, with a raise. Quite coincidentally, this also happens to be the week of Rich’s last severance check. We are eeking by. Totally crazy, God is. Feeling like I’m on safari!

We’ve been praying and waiting on God’s direction–should I work? should we sell the house? should Rich find other work? should we buy a lotto ticket? start day trading? put advertising ads on my blog? should we do all or none of the above or something else all together? Yeah, all have spun around in our pea brains, but on all accounts God has been pretty silent, until this week. The ‘messages’ given thus far have revolved around giving, which sure seems counter to paying the bills. So, we’ve kept up our tithing account and sent out extra checks out along the way. (Wow! Hope this doesn’t sound like boasting here, just thinking outloud, just sharing…)

Oh, and He has me creating a God blog book, which is nothing more than these blog postings…I’ve never written professionally for anything, but it seems His will for me right now. Maybe it’ll get published, maybe it won’t, maybe the act of creating it is all He wants from me–maybe there is spiritual growth in creating a book, I don’t know… Very probably not a revenue producer, but it sure eats up time…whatever that is about, I don’t know. Maybe I heard Him all wrong, I don’t know. (“I don’t know” seems to be the most sure thing on this one).

This all feels rather vulnerable to be sharing with you all, but then, why is that?  Hmmm…my issues, certainly.

So, God’s silence–maybe it isn’t vacant space…maybe it is about actively waiting and trusting, staying where we belong and not violate that and see where He takes it. This is anything but passive, as I’ve prayed my heart out on it…I’m standing wide open before God with a look of “What do You want? Just say the word…I’m all Yours.”

The next hurdle is our son’s college tuition bill…due in weeks. This is totally hilarious, I am chuckling… God has made it super clear to Charlie that this is where he is to go to school in the fall–Charlie is certain he is in the midst of God’s will. Yet, where is the balance of the tuition due coming from? Do we go into debt, take out loans? Is that His will? Or, is He going to show up last minute for Charlie like He did this week regarding our household finances?

Well, all I can say is that He is a Wild Man, and anything is possible. I put nothing past Him. Definitely on safari, riding an elephant, holding on for dear life…thanks for journeying with me, friend….do you hear a Lion roaring? I think I hear a roar….